Wednesday, September 26, 2012

As
we close in on the last quarter of the year (and the end of baseball’s regular
season), 2012 is on track to be the country's hottest year ever recorded. But
as Yogi Berra says, “It ain't over 'til it's over.”

So how cold would it need to be for the rest of
the year to miss the record?

Click on the image to see the high resolution version. Image Credit: Climate Central.

Pretty
darn cold. As you can see in the graphic above, based on temperature data from
NOAA’s NCDC, if we have normal fall and winter temperatures every month for the
rest of the year, we will clearly break the record (yellow line). If it stays
warmer than average, we will break the record by even more (orange line). In
order to miss breaking the record as the hottest year ever recorded in the
United States, the months of September through December would each need to be
among the coolest third of those months on record (green line).

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

A
record low in the Arctic sea ice extent occurred on September 16, 2012 and it
was the lowest in the satellite record which started in 1979. Even more
troubling was that this year also saw a record low in sea ice volume.

Click on the image for a high-resolution version. Image Credit: NSIDC.

The
previous record minimum extent occurred in 2007.What was extraordinary about this year was
that weather conditions were not as favorable for melting as in 2007.That year was noted for long periods of
sunshine which allowed the ice to melt over much of the Arctic.This year came on the heels of a cold winter
in which the ice extent came close to normal.There were more clouds and a powerful storm which hit the Arctic in
early August which helped to break up more of the thin ice.

Click on the image for a high-resolution version. Image Credit: Climate Central.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The January-August period was the
warmest first eight months of any year on record for the contiguous United
States. The national temperature of 58.7°F was 4.0°F above the 20th century
average, and 1.0°F above the previous record warm January-August of 2006.
During the eight-month period, 33 states were record warm and an additional 12
states were top ten warm. Only Washington had statewide temperatures near
average for the period.

The statewide ranks of temperatures since 1895 and the top ten warmest January-August periods in South Carolina. Image Credit: NOAA\NCDC.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

It
is about this time of year after a long hot summer that everyone longs for the
heat and humidity to be over.Meteorological summer is over, but the misery of summer lingers. People
are sick and tired of the heat and humidity.

Therefore
the first cold fronts of the fall season are a welcome relief.No need to get out the jackets, but it will
be refreshing once a cold front passes through the Midlands Saturday
night.The change is noticeable on the
7-day forecast for Columbia.

The
American Meteorological Society updated their statement on climate change last week while much of the country was preoccupied
with Hurricane Isaac.Research has
greatly increased our understanding of the climate system and the body of
research continues to expand at a rapid pace.It overwhelmingly supports the consensus that the earth is warming and
it is being caused by the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

The
full statement can be found here.This newer version is a better read and
accessible to the general public.It is
a conservative document and I am sure does not go far enough for some.However, it is an important one as it
represents the position of the society.It is based on the science and not someone’s ideology or political
orientation.The previous statement on
climate change can be found here.

About Me

A professional meteorologist for over 37 years, Jim Gandy is the chief meteorologist at WLTX-TV (CBS affiliate) in Columbia, SC. He has held that position since 1999.
Jim is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and has a number of awards and recognitions for his work over the years. He is best known for his forecast of Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and his work during the tornado outbreak in South Carolina in 1994.
Jim continues to study weather and is interested in climate change which he has studied since 2005. Looking for better ways to communicate climate change, he is working with the Center for Climate Change Communication at George Mason University and with Climate Central.
Jim recently began working with the Helmuth Lab at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Brian Helmuth is working in the area of the effects of climate change on the ecology.
All of these subjects are of vital interest to South Carolina.